A Dark Future
by May 16 writer
Summary: After getting knocked out in a fight, Manny wakes up to find himself now a thirty year old man and Miracle City completely changed. Sartana now rules with an iron fist while everyone he knows and loves is miserable. Can he fix this?
1. Chapter 1

"Surrender now Sartana!" Rodolfo shouted as he and his son fought against her.

As usual she was trying to takeover Miracle City and as usual Manny and his father would try to stop her. So far it seemed like a normal day, Sartana would cause mayhem and the Riveras would stop her little did Manny know that his life was about to change drastically.

"You Riveras won't stop me this time!" She cackled. "Not when I have this!"

She held up a black skull with two rubies where the eyes were.

"What is that?" Rodolfo said.

"The skull of fate. With this I will rule the world!"

"Right and I'll commit evil without getting grounded." Manny said in disbelief.

White Pantera and El Tigre charged at Sartana who began blasting her guitar at them. They dodged her blasts with their super speed. Manny tried to make a break for the guitar and destroy it.

"Manny be careful!" His father warned.

But it was too late. The blasts already hit the boy sending him flying into a wall. It hit his head so hard that it knocked his brain against his skull. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Sartana raising the skull up and chanting something. When he woke up he was on the ground and it was night time.

"Oh my head." He thought.

When he stood up he found that he was in his normal clothes and his belt was gone.

"Hey where's my belt?" He called in a deep voice. "What the...What happened to voice?...Hmm I guess it finally changed like Mom always said. That aside no doubt Sartana took my belt again. Better get it back."

He brushed the dirt off himself and made his way toward Sartana's lair but to his surprise and horror, he was in a completely different place. There was fire everywhere, people were in chains working as slaves, and those who weren't were either committing crimes or begging.

"What the heck?" Manny gasped. "How long was I out for? And where the heck am I?"

He spotted an old man digging around in the garbage for something.

"Um..Excuse me?" He said tapping on his shoulder.

"Ahh! Who are you?! And what do you want?!"

"Whoa calm down old man! Listen I was wondering can you tell me where Miracle City is?"

"What are you blind? You're standing right in it!"

"What? This can't be Miracle City."

"Well it used to be Miracle City, now it's Sartana City."

"Sartana City?! What kind of crazy place is- wait a minute." Manny took a good look at the old man, he looked very familiar to him. He was more skinny and frail than he remembered and his black hair was now gray but he'd know that eye patch anywhere. "Mr. Suarez, is that you?"

"How do you know my name?!"

"It's me! Manny Rivera."

"Impossible! He's dead!"

"WHAT?! What do you mean he's dead?!"

"What are you deaf or something? I'm mean he's dead, D-E-A-D, Stone cold, kicked the bucket, end of the line."

"But I can't be dead!"

"Well you're not dead but Manny Rivera's been dead for seventeen years."

"That's crazy! How can I- wait how long did you say he's been dead?"

"Seventeen years."

"That can't be true. I'd be a grown by now."

"Then you better take a good look at yourself in mirror." He pulled a slightly cracked mirror from the trash can and held it up. Manny gasped in shock when instead of seeing a thirteen year old boy he saw a thirty year old muscular man with a goatee.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" He felt around his face to make sure it was him. "This can't be happening!"

"You okay?" He asked.

"Mr. Suarez, what's happened?" He asked. "Why aren't you chief of police? Where's your family? What's going on?"

"Sartana that's what! Somehow she became the evil dictator of us all. I lost my job, and me and my wife to work as slaves. Then my wife died and I got too old to work so now I'm beggar."

"But what happened to your daughters? What happened to Frida?"

"Frida?"

"My best friend? Your daughter?"

"Frida? My Frida. They took my Frida. They took her away."

"What do you mean they took her away?"

"How do you know Frida?"

"It's me Manny!"

"Liar! Where is she?! Did you hurt her?! I'll kill you!"

He tried to strangle him but he was too old so Manny easily got away and ran off. He couldn't believe what was happening. What was happening here? Where were his parents? His grandfather? He began searching for them.

"Mama! Papa! Grandpapi!" He called.

"Keep it down will ya!" A man called angrily. "I'm trying to get some sleep!"

"Sorry. Hold up, Davi? Davi Rouccu?"

"That's what my name."

"Why are you sleeping in a box?"

"Because I live here."

"You live here?"

"Yeah not much for a thief."

"You're a theif? But you always wanted to be a hero."

"That was the old man and besides there are no more heroes."

"What are you talking about? What about the Riveras?"

"The Riveras? I haven't heard that in a long time."

"Do you know where they are? White Pantera? Maria? Puma Loco?"

"You wanna find Puma Loco check the cemetery. That's where he's buried, he died of heart attack ten years ago. As for Maria and White Pantera...Well can't help ya. But hey you look like you could use a hug."

Davi hugged him.

"See ya!"

Then he ran off, Manny checked his pockets.

"Hey he stole my wallet! Dear God this is a nightmare. I gotta find my parents wherever they are."


	2. Chapter 2

As expected Manny found his grandfather buried at the local cemetery so he decided to look for his parents. He learned from several very rude scavengers that she was in the hospital. He went their claiming to be a relative which technically wasn't a lie because he was.

He went upstairs to her room he saw an old woman lying in bed. He walked over to her hoping and praying that little old lady was in fact his mother. Her long curly hair was now gray and she wore glasses. Her body looked so frail and delicate like it could break just by looking at it but despite her new appearance he still recognized her.

"What happened to her?" He asked the doctor.

"When her son died poor Maria was so heartbroken that she suffered a heart attack. She's been here ever since suffering more heart failures after the next. She's so old now that she's talking out of her head."

Manny sat next to the sleeping old woman.

"Mom?" He asked. "Mom?"

She woke up and looked at him.

"Are you here to give me my medicine?" She asked.

"No Mom it's me, it's Manny your son."

"Manny? You look different."

"I grew up Mom."

"You look so much like your father. I must be dead now."

"No Mom you're not."

"But you're dead so the only way you can be with me is if I'm dead."

"Mom I'm not dead. I'm alive."

"Then you can't be my son, you're probably just another one of my near death hallucinations."

"Mom! I'm not dead! I never died!"

"Funny, you sound like my ex husband before they shipped him off."

"Shipped him off? To where?"

"That's enough sir." The doctor said.

"No! She's my mother! I wanna talk to her!"

"Sir leave."

"Where is Rodolfo Rivera?"

"Only Sartana and her goons know now leave before I call security."

But as usual Manny didn't listen to reason and he was thrown out by security. A little while later he got jumped and mugged by Sartana's men. Luckily however Manny was a lot stronger than them even without the belt, as they were retreating he grabbed one for questioning.

"Do you know where Rodolfo Rivera is being held?" He asked.

"Forget it pal! I'm not talking and there's no way you're gonna make me!"

One second later...

"Alright! Alright! I'll talk!" He squealed as Manny held over the volcano. "He's being held at the psychiatric ward!"

Manny put him down.

"Can you get me in there?"

"Yes but do I have to?"

"Do you wanna swim in lava?"

So reluctantly he snuck him into the psychiatric ward. Manny was amazed by how many people who were locked up here. El Oso was in one cell talking to a bucket, in another Dr. Chipolte Sr and Jr trying to break out, and in the last one he saw his father. One old man in a straight jacket struggling to get loose.

"You can't keep me here!" He shouted. "I am White Pantera! I'll break out and when I do I'll find my son!"

"Mr. Rivera for the last time your son is dead." A doctor said.

"He's not dead! Sartana's keeping him from me! I have to save him!"

"Dad?" Manny said walking into the room.

"Hey who let you in?" The doctor asked.

"Dad! It's me Manny! I'm here!" He said to the crazed old man.

"Is this a joke? You're not my son!"

"But I am Dad."

"Manny's a little boy! You're a grown man!"

"Dad it's been seventeen years."

"Liar! You're all liars!"

He broke out of his jacket and began trying to attack Manny and the doctor. Assistance was called to restrain him into another jacket that was much stronger. Manny was then forcibly escorted out of the ward. He had never been more scared of his father in all his life. It was like that man wasn't even him.

After awhile he got hungry and thirsty so he went to look for a restaurant but all they had were bars. Walking out of one of them was a familiar woman, she was goth, very tall and slender wearing black lingerie under a jacket.

"Zoe Aves?" He ran to her and hugged her. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Rapist!" She screamed."

"Zoe it's Manny I'm-"

But she just pepper sprayed him.

"Ahhh! My eyes!" Then she punched him in the gutt, smacked him with her purse, and kicked him in the one spot no man wants to be kicked. He dropped to the floor in pain. "Oh God! Why would you do that?!"

But she didn't stop there, she pulled out a bat from her purse and began hitting him with it repeatedly.

"Ow! Ow! Stop! Oh my head! Zoe please I- No! Zoe don't do that!" She dropped a bowling ball on his face. "Owww."

"Serves you right."

Then she left him battered and bruised.

"Crazy woman." He groaned getting up. "Tried to kill me."

He then limped over to the bar where she came out of which to his surprise was owned by Sergio. He sat down.

"Here it's on the house." The bar tender said handing him a beer. "Cactus juice."

"Thanks." Manny said. He had never drank beer before but there was a first for everything. He drank some of it and boy was that stuff strong. His ears were burning. "Wow." He breathed. He looked over to see a stage with lingerie and women's underwear hanging off. This must've been one of those stripper bars.

"How's it going partners?" Sergio said walking on the stage. He looked exactly like his Senor Sinestro persona minus the armor. "Hope ya'll are thirsty for some women because next up is my special girl."

The audience of drunk men clapped as the curtains opened to show a young woman with long blue hair wearing a red silk robe sitting on chair with a guitar in her hands. Manny couldn't believe who it was but he'd recognize her anywhere no matter how long it had been. It was Frida, his old friend Frida but she wasn't a little girl anymore she was a young woman now and she was beautiful but what was she doing here?

Before he could ponder his thoughts she began playing her guitar and singing. It was no longer the crazy rock music she used to sing but a soft ballad. Her voice had changed but it was lovely, she sang like an angel.

"Hey what is this?!" A man shouted.

"It's a song." Frida said. "Ever heard one?"

"Come on baby shake it up!" Another man asked.

"Take off the robe!"

"Give us a real show!"

"You guys are pigs!" Frida said.

One of them threw his drink at her while another started climb up and grabbed her leg. Manny felt a great and unknown rage come over him. How dare these disgusting drunkards touch Frida. He pulled the man off the stage and punched him in the face. The guy tried to punch back but Manny ducked and his fist hit another guy soon a fight had been started. In the chaos he climbed on to the stage and scooped up Frida into his arms.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!" She struggled but he was a lot stronger than she was. He took her into the dressing rooms in the back and put her down. "Jerk!" She hit him over the head with her guitar.

"Ow! What is it with women hitting me?!"

"What heck do you think you're doing?!"

"Rescuing you."

"I don't need to be rescued! I had everything under control!"

"Not from where I was sitting."

"Look pal I'm not some defenseless lady! Alright? I work here and I don't need a hero so beat it!" She shoved him out the dressing room and locked the door.

"Frida you never did appreciate what people went through for you." He said,

"Shut up! You don't know me!"

"I do. I know a lot actually, I know you're favorite food is churros, you were red googles, you like video games and music."

"Have you been stalking me?"

"No! And I know something else too."

"What?"

"You once knew a little boy with a scar on his left eye."

"Pretty much everybody knew that dude."

"Yeah but do they all know how he got the scar?" He quizzed. "He got it saving you from Sartana and you thought it was your fault."

She opened the door and was now wearing an adult version of her clothes.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was that little boy Frida."

Her blue eyes wides as her hand reached up to touch the scar on his eye.

"Manny?" Then she fainted.

"Oops." Manny said.


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Coming through. Nothing to see here folks just taking my wife home." Manny said as he carried Frida over his shoulder and looked for her apartment. He found the key and the address in her dressing room since she passed out he decided to take her home. Once he got there he laid her on her bed, found a wash cloth, and wet it.

"Frida? Frida are you okay?" He asked patting her head with it. "Come on Frida, wake up. You're starting to scare me now."

"Huh?" She moaned waking up. "Wha...What happened? Where am I?"

"I took you back to your apartment after you fainted."

"Oh my God it wasn't a dream. Manny is it really you? Really, really, you or have I finally gone crazy?"

"It's me. I'm real, I'm here."

"Oh Manny." She said hugging him tight. It caught him by surprise, the Frida he remembered would never hug him and this woman was holding him so tight it was as if she was afraid that if she let go he would be gone again. While he was surprised it actually felt kind of nice. He hugged her back but not hard knowing that with his new muscular arms he might hurt her.

"I've missed you so much." He felt something wet. Was she crying? Gosh she certainly was different now. "But...But you're dead."

"Oh God! I'm not dead!" He said annoyed. "Frida what happened here? And what happened to me? Or what does everybody think happened to me?"

"Things have really changed. It started on that day when Sartana had stolen the skull of fate. After she knocked you out she used to skull to change your fate to where you you would be gone and you disappeared in a huge flame leaving everyone to believe you had died. After that she used it to make herself the supreme ruler of Miracle City or should I say Sartana City. She was more powerful than anyone and she was undefeatable, many heroes tried but they failed."

"What happened to my family?"

"Your grandpa tried to weasel his way into becoming Sartana's husband again so he could rule alongside with her but she refused he later died of a heart attack. Your dad was so depressed at first he couldn't to fight or do anything except maybe drink away his sorrows eventually the depression got to him real bad, he went insane and convinced himself that Sartana was holding you hostage. And your mom basically almost died of a broken heart and so did I."

She wiped away a tear.

"What happened to you Frida?"

"Sartana took me from my family to be a slave but I escaped when I was twenty and I got a job working at Sergio's bar. I had to sing and strip, I would sing but not striping so it was either where a sheer robe or go naked. Zoe works there too and she actually strips."

"Really? When's her next preformance?"

Frida punched him. "You're disgusting."

"Ow! I was just kidding! Ah...Dear lord you've gotten stronger."

"And you've gotten bigger. Gee I always thought that if I ever saw you again I thought two things, it would be behind the pearly gates and you would still be that silly kid."

"Me? What about you? You got...curvier."

"Really? Hadn't noticed."

Growl!

"What was that?" She asked.

"My stomach. I'm hungry."

"You wanna order a pizza?"

She grabbed the phone, made a call, in one hour a pizza was dropped off. They ate it while watching TV. The only shows on now a days were documentaries or news about Sartana.

"Is their anything on tv not about her?" He asked.

"Don't worry dude I got some of our old movies stashed away."

She pulled out a box that had a bunch of movies.

"Sweet. Still have the Aztec Curse?"

"Yep along with the Chubacabra who ate Miracle City and The Spy Luchador."

"Great! You always have the coolest movies- wait a minute why do you have Amour and Marimonio?"

"Duh!..I..That's part of my personal collection."

Manny looked at her strangely.

"I'm a single woman living in a depressing world it's nice to watch a little romance." His look didn't change. "Don't judge me! You once wore a tutu and daced ballet for justice."

"I told you never to speak of that."

So they picked a movie and watched it til the end. Once it was over it was pretty late and they were both exhausted.

"So sleeping arrangements." He said. "I get the couch?"

"Actually can you sleep with me tonight? Please."

"Okay."

They got into her bed. She decided to sleep under the covers while he decided to sleep on top of them. However neither could sleep for hours.

"Are you awake?" She asked softly five hours later.

"Yeah." He said equally as soft.

"I'm sorry this must be so awkward for you I don't know why I even I asked you to do this."

"You sure?"

"Yes...No...Maybe...I don't know...I guess I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that when I woke up tomorrow morning you wouldn't be here, you'd be gone again."

"Gotcha. Do you remember that one night when we were kids and you snuck over to my house?"

Seventeen years ago...

Thirteen year old Manny was fast asleep in bed but woke up to the sound of the door creaking. He grabbed the nearest thing to defend himself with.

"Stay back! I have a weapon!" He said standing up in bed.

"Manny it's me." Frida said. "And that's a pillow."

He looked at the pillow and then sat back down feeling embarrassed.

"Frida how did you get in here?"

"Your dad keeps a spare inside of a plant next to the door."

"What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night?"

"I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you? Please."

"Okay."

He moved over a little and let her crawl in next to him. They were both laying down, facing each other.

"Why didn't you just sleep with your parents?" He asked.

"There's not enough room plus my dad snores like a mule crossed with a bear."

"Must've been a real scary dream for you to not wanna sleep alone."

"It was. Manny?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think that if I prayed hard enough God would make me into a bird?"

"A bird? Why?"

"So I could fly far away."

"Why would you wanna do that?"

"Nevermind. Goodnight Manny."

"Goodnight Frida."

Present...

"Yes. I remember."

"You never did tell me what it was about."

"I dreamnt that Sartana kidnapped me again and you tried to save me but this time you died. I was so scared when I woke up, I couldn't go back sleep not knowing if you were okay."

"Frida why did you wanna fly away?"

"To get away from what I most afraid of."

"What was that?"

"Losing you. You know you never answered my question."

"Well I really don't know if God would make you a bird but to be honest I wouldn't want him to."

"Why?"

"Because I'd be scared you'd fly away from me."

"I guess you and I have similar fears."

"Yeah. I guess we do."

"Goodnight Manny."

"Goodnight Frida."


End file.
